The Strangest Thing
by x.o.987
Summary: Elizabeth is determined to fight in the pursuit of happiness, even if it kills her. She knows the dangers of traveling through time but she is willing to risk it all to see Sebastian again.
1. Chapter 1

Before there was light, the world was enshrouded in chaos.

Ciel was gone, and my youth had died with him. I walked among the scent of death and between the rows of blackened roses. And the manor that stands in front of me served as a mere reminder of that promise; the promise of jubilance in all its forms; a wide-eyed servant, the faint whisper of a violin playing, and his gentle butler. Yet he was no gentleman. And I had to live with this truth for a very long time.

Years had flew among the wings of crows and as if I had fell asleep on that tragic night, it was this morning that I had awaken and saw a young woman in a mirror. I was no longer the bashful girl and an oblivious child; I have not been such a person for awhile. At times I desperately hoped this girl still lingered inside me, and it was such hope that brings me to the manor in the summer evenings. Yet was I truly bashful towards the end? Was I oblivious when lying to precious Ciel?

He became the pawn and I was the chess player.

Checkmate, the opponent would say, I fell madly in love.

And I was blind when I followed my foolish desire; his sardonic grin perpetually haunting my dreams and my reality. I see it as I walk through streets of foreign cities and through books of centuries ago; the ends of his lips curving upward into an expression so undescribable, it becomes hard to breathe when I reminisce of it.

And I curse the universe for our fate was never meant to entwine. And despite all the attempts of trying to swim through the tsunamis of fate, we failed. I am awake at midnight, waiting for his presence to come and knowing that it will not. The graveyard crickets sing until dawn, wishing to see the odd man in black and the young girl arrive, lace their fingers together, and embrace once more. All those unbearable moments shared and given to the consuming darkness of space, leaving broken souls in its wake.

"Sebastian," I whisper to the mansion stained with ash, "Where did you go?"

But I knew where he went; down the rabbit hole to give his master's soul into eternal slumber. Ciel's deed was executed and it was time to leave; the little boy ordering his house to be burned to ashes as a final request.

"Sebastian," I say once more, "Why didn't you return?"

" _I was afraid, my darling, that you would forget me,"_ a little voice calls from the wind.

"I could be reborn a thousand times and still remember the coldness of your skin."

Elizabeth hears a faint chuckle, " _Even so, they would not allow it."_

"I know," She sighs, "I know, love."

The moon glows from a distance and Ciel's home casts a shadow over the garden of burnt flowers. And Elizabeth cannot resist the urge to walk through the hollow halls of her friend's abode. Perhaps she might see his ghost.

Steps are taken to the entrance and eventually through the mansion. Elizabeth cannot see clearly but her memory guides her through times of silly accidents and forced parties upon Ciel's birthdays.

"All these years," I smile as I pass family portraits, "I still find a pink bonnet in the servant's corridors."

" _It was the first gift I have received,"_ She feels him grinning in the darkness.

"I can tell when you're lying."

" _It was the first gift from one whom I have grown to care about."_

"Now you're simply spouting nonsense, silly butler," I cannot help but laugh.

My heels echo through ashes and the empty rooms and halt in front of a specific door. Tears sting my eyes and hands tremble.

" _Do not be afraid, my lady. Please do enter."_

A room untouched by the flame from years ago; a barren place. My eyes linger to find a bed with no wrinkles and a wooden desk covered in dust. Despite little furniture I could see him everywhere in this little room.

"The things you make me do," I feel my voice breaking.

Agony crept into my soul quietly and I felt something break inside of my body.

"I try to grow a new heart everyday, but then I come here and destroy it."

I pace through the room and struggle to calm my nerves. My vision leads to a world spinning, appearing as though earth was going to fall through gravity.

And thus time stops. The world stops spinning. I feel his touch upon the apples of my cheeks but I still cannot see him.

" _Dearest Elizabeth, I have written you a letter and hoped it would be salvaged from the fire. Forgive me, it seems the message was not and you have my sincerest apologies but I shall recite from memory, if you will allow me."_

"Why are you doing this? To further secure the lock in my cage?"

" _Do I have your permission?"_

"Go on."

" _Dear Elizabeth Milford,_

 _Wanting to be loved, for that sole obstinate reason, demons can even go this far as to be with the purest form of human. Yet I have no remorse for I have felt the strangest thing; happiness."_

"The strangest thing," tears escape my blue irises, "The strangest thing…"

I could die in this little room; corpse rotting in the place where my beloved once lived. I strongly desire to fall into the eternal slumber, allowing Sebastian read to the letter to me until my last breath. And ever so hopelessly, I want to see his face; his sardonic grin.

"How can I escape this never-ending nightmare?"

" _You must wake up, my darling."_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

 _I became an insomniac._

 _I distinctly remember how the rain fell outside because it terrified me; roars of thunder and the collapse of a trillion tiny oceans upon the ground. Utter chaos ensued outside and I was trapped in someone else's home. Ciel's home was the least bit comforting. Something cold and dark always lurked in the vastness of his house and thus I stayed awake._

 _And the darkness called out to me:_

" _Are you alright, Lady Elizabeth?"_

" _Sebastian? Is that you?"_

" _Yes."_

" _Why have you come to me?"_

" _I heard your scream and came as quickly as I could."_

" _Why couldn't Ciel be here?"_

" _I'm afraid the young master is sleeping. "_

" _He doesn't love me, does he?"_

" _Forgive by saying this," his footsteps slowly became louder, "But that is nonsense, my lady."_

" _That's not comforting at all. I want to hear it from him, and then I will sleep."_

 _The darkness chuckled, "Perhaps a story will suffice?"_

 _The butler sat on the foot of the bed, a slight grin and amused crimson eyes flustered me._

" _I suppose it would," I responded uninterested, hoping the butler would leave soon._

" _Well, my lady," he whispered, "Allow me to tell you the story about how the sun loved the moon so much. Every evening he died to let her breathe."_

" _No fair," I remember pouting to his leisure, "I've outgrown fairy tales, Sebastian."_

" _I can assure you, this is no fairytale. It is one's life in which I have the privilege of telling."_

" _And whose life is it?"_

 _The butler smiled sadly._

* * *

1950 London:

They say that first love never truly dies. It merely hibernates, waiting to suddenly grasp your shoulders and shake all of the tears out of you. And they are most certainly true, for I've seen him everywhere; the darkness of certain nights, a young girl's mischievous smile, a rising sun. I have traveled through a hundred years, searching. Waiting. Wanting. His voice wraps around my soul and doesn't intend to leave. And ever so desperately I've needed the rain, a tsunami falling from the sky to wash away the memories; to start a clean slate. Yet he stays, hides, and sometimes grasps my shoulders; a reminder that I cannot give up.

I've made a deal with a certain grim reaper. A red-haired overzealous creature who granted me such a power in return for a date with an adonis of my choosing. The deal was simple enough. But finding Sebastian was the complicated part.

Apparently his species can take different forms, appearing drastically different from their previous condition. However something remains apparent. And with his razor-sharp teeth, I recollect the reaper saying:

"Their eyes," he chuckled, "Those bastards don't even know how to change their eyes!"

I've traveled the world in search of a particular set of irises; the red kind. And there were a few possible winners; a young man in India, a woman in America, a girl in some village in Germany. Alas, they could not remember a certain story which brings me to my next option; a trip back to where I started and a meeting with a private investigator; not the type to research human beings though.

"I am Collin. Collin Peterson," he had an icy complexion, "It is a pleasure to meet you, uh-"

"Elizabeth Midford. But please, call me Lizzy." We shook hands.

A noisy cafe, the man thought, was a good place to discuss demons.

"Right," he responded in a monotone voice, "Lizzy, why do seek this demon? What makes him so important-"

"And that is a personal reason," I tried chuckling, "You aren't very fun to talk to."

He paused, "It is not my first time hearing that before."

"I'm sorry I don't have much time for chit-chat."

"And neither do I."

"I am looking for a man-demon, if you must call him that. He has an unique set of-"

The investigator sighed, resting his face on his palm, "I assume you have a picture."

"No. I haven't seen him in a very long time, if you understand what I mean."

"Well, you're hopeless, I cannot help you."

"Why not?" I felt my agitation boiling.

"Obviously, you're delusional. If I were you, I would have given up searching a long time ago if I did not have the evidence of his existence."

"But I remember…"

"Memories are nothing compared to the physical manifestations of these creatures, Lizzy. It would be nearly impossible to find him without at least a photo."

"Nearly impossible, you say," and something clicked, "does that mean it's still a possibility you'll find him?"

"Perhaps it could be a possibility."

I grabbed a hold of one of his hands. I couldn't allow this opportunity to slip.

"Thank you for taking on this case. It means so much to me. We'll start searching tomorrow morning."

"I-I beg your pardon?"

"And don't worry about the pay. My family is has been one of the elites for centuries."

"Fine," he sighed once more, "But I must tell you, Lizzy,

' _these violent delights have violent ends.'"_

* * *

 ** _Author's note: Hello! Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I'm going to make it a once-a-week type of thing! Please review your thoughts. It is much appreciated. I was inspired to incorporated a bit of Shakespeare into the story, hopefully you enjoyed it._**


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